


Counting Stars

by Vagrant_Blvrd



Series: Crinkle Dot [4]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe- GTA V, Fake AH Crew, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-26 21:19:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13866216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vagrant_Blvrd/pseuds/Vagrant_Blvrd
Summary: Ryan almost getting himself killed (Michael knows what he signed up for, but it doesn't mean he has to fucking like it) spooks the Fakes a bit.





	Counting Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after [Crossroads.](https://vagrantblvrd.tumblr.com/post/171033869996/crossroads-11)

Ryan almost getting himself killed (Michael knows what he signed up for, but it doesn't mean he has to fucking like it) spooks the Fakes a bit.

Has them reassessing things, and apparently Michael is one of those things.

Or really, that crappy little place Michael has. 

Michael spending a lot of time around the Fakes, around Ryan while he's recovering reminding them about Ryan telling them just how damn easy it was to break into his place the first time. The countless times afterwards until Ryan took it upon himself to get the locks changed.

And, you know, kind of screwed Michael over a little too in that Ryan went and did it without telling him. Left the new keys with Michael's landlord who is the sort of guy who then immediately lost them. Leaving Michael standing outside his building at ass o'clock in the morning screaming at Ryan over the phone. 

The thing is, the whole damn crew seem to think that's not enough. Have the Fakes starting a campaign to move Michael into a place with better security – for his own safety, or so Jack tells him when he first broaches the subject.

But – and this is a thing they don't seem to get – Michael actually likes his crappy little apartment.

Sure, the location isn't exactly the best and there are million things wrong with it, but it's _his_.

Also, there's no way he could afford to move to the places Jack shows him, pretty pictures on some realtor's website, and the whole offer hits Michael all wrong in ways he can't put into words.

It's nice of them, yeah, but.

Michael got where he is by working for it, and just having something like that handed to him because of his connection to Ryan doesn't sit well.

“Michael - “

“Shut up, asshole,” Michael says, scowling at Ryan.

He knows it isn't just that, has heard over and over again while Ryan's recovering about the things the Fakes do for one of their own. That that's how they see him, and doing something like this is just the natural order of things, but - 

“I appreciate it,” he says, when Ryan just keeps frowning at him, looking like a confused puppy. “I do, I just. You know. I didn't earn it.”

It sounds stupid when he says it out loud, he knows that too. It's just - 

“I mean, you really kind of did?” Ryan says, still confused puppy as he gestures at himself. Flicks a hand in the general direction of the others acting like they're not eavesdropping in the other room. “You've put us back together more than enough times already.”

Michael stares at Ryan because there it is, right.

Idiot looks like shit and is still moving around like a little old man because of his injuries, but sure. Why not look ahead to the fun times where he can do it all over again. Where maybe that crew of his can get in on the action and breaking Michael's heart in the process because they're the kind of assholes who won't stop until someone makes them. Hard stop and all that bullshit.

“Not helping,” Michael says, manages to keep his voice level as he does because, wow, way too fucking soon. “Also, _no_.”

And Ryan, big, dumb, Ryan – he gives Michael this look. 

Pitying, like Michael still doesn't get how stubborn his crew is, which, _ha_.

Good thing Michael's more than up to handling whatever they throw at him. 

========

It starts with Gavin – of course it does – breaking into his place for the most random of reasons.

“You look like a man who'd have sugar,” he says, grabbing the jar Michael's mother sent him when he moved in here. Care package of random bits and pieces of a home he's still working on building for himself. “Thanks.”

Michael lowers the baseball bat he's holding and stares at Gavin who's smiling brightly at him like breaking and entering is just a thing friends _do_.

“The hell?” Michael demands, giving chase when Gavin lets out this tittering little laugh and just _bolts_.

The fucker's wily, just goes and vaults over Michael's counter with the sugar jar clutched tight to his chest. Easily dodges when Michael throws out a hand to grab at him when he darts past and out of his apartment. 

Michael chases him around the corner to the elevator and is treated to the sight of Gavin tipping him a two-fingered salute just as the elevator doors start to close.

The only thing is, the damn elevator's been on the fritz for a while now. Everyone in the building avoiding it because their landlord's a piece of shit who drags his feet when it comes to calling someone in to repair things like that.

“Oh, Christ, _please_ ,” Michael mutters, walking up to the closed doors.

It's like instant Karma when he hears the grinding clunk _ho shit_ sound of the elevator breaking down between floors. Hears a startled squawk drifting up, and absolutely does not laugh,no. That would be cruel and heartless of him.

Michael pounds on the closed doors and yells down, “I'll call maintenance for you!” with absolutely no intention to do anything of the sort.

He heads back to his apartment with a grin on his face because there are still a couple of hours before he has to be up for work and he plans to make the best of them.

========

Jeremy's next.

Michael wakes up on his day off and finds the little shit in his kitchen eating cereal and wearing a goddamn trucker's cap and a sleeveless shirt. 

Michael shuffles to a stop, scratching his stomach absently and considers his choices here.

Yell at the asshole who broke into his place for a bowl of no-name cereal, or - 

“Tell me you made coffee,” he says around a jaw-breaking yawn caused by pulling doubles and bad sleep habits in general.

Jeremy points at Michael's coffee maker that's burbling away on the counter behind him.

Michael squints at him, but Jeremy just keeps stuffing his face, and really, fuck it. It's too damn early to really work up to the proper sort of anger at these assholes refusing to act like actual human beings.

“I drove the X80,” Jeremy offers as some kind of peace offering. “Want a ride to the penthouse?”

While he may not appreciate them breaking into his place all the damn time to make a point, Michael's not an _idiot_.

Jeremy smirks because yes, okay, Michael likes fast cars. Fucking sue him.

========

It just gets worse over time, to the point Michael stops being surprised when he comes home from work to find one of the Fakes playing video games and yelling at their on-screen character. When he wakes up in the middle of the night to one of them rummaging through his refrigerator or cupboards. 

Opens his eyes when he takes a nap on his couch to one of them draping a blanket over him, frown on their faces and looking like they're barely restraining themselves from lecturing him about looking after himself better because wow, talk about being a hypocrite, right?

The worst, though, the absolute worst is when he gets off a brutal and gets home to find _Ryan_ on his couch. 

He still looks like shit, but less so.

More color to him, and while he's still moving like an old man he's not grimacing like he's fucking himself up worse. Pushing himself to get better and undoing what progress he's made.

“Hey,” he says, tries for suave and charming and lands somewhere around dorky asshole, so damn familiar it makes Michael's chest hurt a little.

“Could you maybe not?” Michael says, annoyed at how damn fond he sounds, because that's just going to encourage Ryan. 

And of course the idiot just smiles at him. Tired and stupid and unbelievably stubborn if he's insisting on being part of this bullshit.

“I hate your crew,” Michael says, walking over to make sure Ryan knows how serious about this he is. “So much.”

Ryan makes this little humming noise, like he's trying not to laugh.

“They grow on you,” he says, like Michael's already past the point of no return when it comes to these assholes. 

Michael looks down at Ryan, this idiot who almost died not too long ago. Stupid and stubborn and watching Michael like maybe he's wondering why the hell Michael puts up with his shit, even now.

“You're all so stupid,” Michael sighs, because it's been a long, long day, and now _Ryan_.

“You're not wrong, there,” Ryan says, head cocked to the side, eyebrow going up.

And Michael - 

He's tired, and Ryan's here in his crappy little apartment being smug at him.

“Shut up, asshole,” he says, and sits down next to Ryan. Gives in and lets Ryan pull him close.

Warm and very much alive, even though Michael _knows_ all this. Has seen it for himself day in and day out since he got that call months ago, and yet - 

“We worry,” Ryan says, quiet, like he doesn't want to rile Michael up over this whole mess again. “You know that.”

Unfortunately, he does.

Has had that shoved in his face time and again when the two of them were first figuring out this thing between them – before either of them even realized there was a thing because the Fakes are all nosy fuckers. Getting all up in each other's business out of concern for their crewmates, their family.

And somehow they think he's one of theirs, and that's not a little terrifying, considering.

“I'll think about it,” Michael says, reluctant because it still sits wrong with him, this, but he understands where it's coming from. 

Gets why they want to help him this way, that it really doesn't have anything to do with Ryan and what they are to each other anymore, but tell that to the part of him that worked to get where he is.

“You will?” Ryan asks, cautious hope in his voice that has Michael looking up at him, sees the worry he's trying to hide.

Acting all nonchalant and casual and letting his crew slowly drive Michael crazy the past few weeks because he has this thing where he's not great at using his words.

Michael rolls his eyes, and snags the remote out of Ryan's hand and looks for something that's bound to annoy him. Hopefully there's a movie with gross inaccuracies when it comes to the sciency nerd shit that gets him all up in arms over how wrong they get things.

Jack and the others might not have come right out and said as much, but Michael's not stupid. 

He knows he makes a sweet little target for the Fake AH Crew's enemies, for _Ryan's_. That he's not hard to find for someone determined enough, and thanks to the Fakes, knows exactly how easy it is to through the laughable security in his building. 

Still, that's no reason to let Ryan think he's going to win this one so easily.

“Don't get your hopes up, asshole.”

Ryan sighs, but there's this slight upturn to his mouth. 

This stupidly fond look in his eyes, like he wasn't expecting anything else from Michael, which goes to show there's some hope for him after all.


End file.
